In leisure shoes and in particular athletic shoes or sneakers, the ability to have functional as well as decorative footwear is particularly important for successful marketing of such shoes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,459,947 describes a decorative shoe tongue simulating and lace securing device wherein a decorative attachment is inserted into an ordinary sneaker. The decorative attachment can be readily removed and substituted by use of other attachments such as that shown in FIG. 1 of the patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,377,913 describes a double tongue, double locking vamp assembly which utilizes a hook and loop type fastening means, such as that marketed under the trademark Velcro for tightly connecting the tongue with an athletic shoe.
The object, advantages and features of the present invention are directed to utilizing a separate decorative tongue member that is an integral component of the footwear where the footwear also has the usual locking or belting or securing mechanism for engaging a foot.